Tiger Salamander
Common Name
Tiger Salamander, Eastern Tiger Salamander, Barred Tiger Salamander
Size
One of the largest terrestrial salamanders in the world. Adults can grow to 13 inches (33 cm) in total length, but most end up closer to 9-10 inches long (23 and 25 cm).
Appearance
Tiger salamanders are variable in color and pattern, and range from olive-brown with black blotches, to dark black with yellow rings and bars, to bright green with black lines and swirls. Young salamanders can be spotted but this polka-dot pattern changes as they age.
Distribution, Habitat and Behavior
Native to much of the United States, southern Canada and northern Mexico. Tiger salamanders spend most of their time underground where they live in burrows. They usually excavate these themselves, but may also take over holes and shelters dug by other animals. They can be found in a wide range of habitats, including wooded areas, marshlands, and meadows, but always near ponds that don’t have fish or small lakes. They breed in these water bodies in early spring, often in the days just after the first rains of the year, when the ground thaws and snow melts.
Availability
Tiger salamanders are seasonally available in the North American pet trade, collected from the wild and supplied to pet dealers during spring breeding migrations. If it is legal and you live in an area with tiger salamanders, it may be a better option to collect one of your own rather than purchasing it at a pet store. They have been bred on a couple occasions but those for sale in the trade are almost entirely wild-caught.
Housing
Tiger salamanders are best kept individually. A standard 15 gallon aquarium that measures 24 inches long by 12 inches wide by 12 inches high (61 cm by 30 cm by 30 cm) is enough space for one adult. A secure screen cover should be used to prevent escapes.
Choose a substrate that holds moisture, is not abrasive, and allows the salamander to easily dig and burrow. A mixture of coconut husk fiber and cypress mulch works well, as do any number of other soil mixtures. Be careful to avoid soil that contains perlite, vermiculite, small pieces of bark, or gravel. Other substrate options include leaf litter or clumps of moist paper towels layered together. When a simple substrate like paper towels is used it will need to be changed often, up to several times each week, while a soil mixture may be okay for months so long as it is spot cleaned regularly. Whatever substrate is used, make sure it does not become soggy or waterlogged. It can be beneficial to keep the cage at an angle, so that one end is slightly raised. This allows for a moisture gradient to develop within the substrate so that the raised end remains dryer than the lower end and your salamander can choose where to spend its time.
Tiger salamanders should be provided with something to burrow under, such as pieces of corkbark or driftwood. Artificial plants and patches of moss can be added for aesthetics. Live plants can also be used but should be left to grow in their pots so that they are not uprooted when the salamander is digging.
A setup for a tiger salamander with a coconut husk fiber and mulch substrate mix, water dish, and several pieces of wood and park for cover.
Temperature
Maintain a cool environment for tiger salamanders between 60°F (16°C) and 70°F (21°C). They are somewhat tolerant of warmer temperatures when compared to many other salamanders, but the cage should not be allowed to rise above 78°F (27°C). Drops down to or below 50°F (10°C) do not present a problem, though activity and appetite decrease when kept at lower temperatures. It is best to keep the enclosure within either an air conditioned room or cool basement so that the temperature stays within a safe range. Extended periods of hot temperatures result in health issues.
Water
A clean, shallow source of water should always be available. Change the water everyday or when it appears dirty. Treat tap water with an aquarium water conditioner to remove chlorine, chloramines, and heavy metals a day before use.
Diet
One of the most enjoyable qualities of tiger salamanders is their tremendous appetite. They feed on a variety of invertebrates in captivity, including crickets, night crawlers, earth worms, wax worms, super worms, silkworms, and roaches. Crickets and worms should make up the majority of their diet, and can be offerred in small quantities once or twice a week. Other food items can be substituted for crickets or worms every few feedings. Feed young salamanders in smaller quantities every day or two. Some large adult salamanders will accept pre-killed pinky or fuzzy mice from forceps, but these should not be fed often to avoid nutritional problems. Coat food in a high quality amphibian and reptile vitamin and mineral supplement every two to three feedings.
I recently got a tiger salamander (Brian) and was wondering exactly how much I should feed it? Brian is 5-6 inches long and still has the “pokeadot pattern” if that matters. I’ve been feeding it one earth worm every three days; they’re about 1.5 inches long. Is this okay, it’s just plain earth worms is there anything I should add or change?
Feeding one earth worm every few days sounds like a pretty good schedule. You can pay attention to its appetite and how fat/thin it looks too. If it wants another worm after the first, you could feed it a second. Earthworms are pretty healthy but to make sure Brian gets all the nutrition needed, you should also roll the worms in a nutritional supplement for amphibians like Repashy Calcium Plus. You don’t have to do this every time but maybe ever other or every second feeding.
I bought two tiger salamanders and their enclosure a couple of weeks ago. The previous owner had them in a mostly aquatic enclosure with only a little bit of land. They seem to be doing fine and they can swim well but i wanted to try giving them some land. I put them in an enclosure with a couple inches of coco fiber and a water dish, but they do not like going on the land. They don’t like the land, and I don’t know why. I have heard that they like to dig, but mine have no desire to. Any explanation why?
I wonder if the tiger salamanders are not yet adult. Did they have any gills when you first got them? How large were they? It can take a while for larvae to finish completing metamorphosis and if you received them when they were small and not yet fully terrestrial it’s possible the salamanders may have still been finishing up metamorphosis. I realize I am a few months late approving the post and replying (apologies), so if that was the case probably things are different now.
Tiger salamanders spend almost all their time underground. They are mole salamanders and do best with a lose soil they can dig in, plus a shallow water dish for soaking. Occasionally they come out at night, but often they just stay put in their little hole and wait for food. Tiger salamander larvae, on the other hand, are fully aquatic.
I am positive that my salamanders are adults. They are about 6 inches SVL and they have no gills whatsoever. The male goes on the land sometimes but spends the majority of his time in the water: I have never seen the female on land. They can breathe and swim fine underwater. They will occasionally come up to the surface and gulp some air, but they never seem like they have problems breathing. I have seen adult tiger salamanders in the wild and they were deep underwater in a puddle. It seems to me like they can be more aquatic than people give them credit for.
Interesting. I have no idea why they are behaving that way. But, if they are healthy and have access to both land and water but are just choosing the water I think that is okay. In the wild they move down to ponds to breed in the rain, and adults spend some time swimming around before going back to their fossorial existence after reproducing. You might try setting up some sort of paludarium, like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-Y-FL7iXKc I think the trick is just to make sure they can always get out of the water and switch to land if they want. One last thought–if it gets too hot (above 75-80F or so) tiger salamanders will often soak in their water dish instead of on land, which is a good sign something is often. Double check the temperature and make sure it is staying in the 60s or low 70s. Enjoy the salamanders
My tiger salamander is always burrowed. I dont think he even comes out of the substrate at night. His water bowl never has signs of him going in it. Ill go months without seeing him and then I’ll dig him out to find him alive and well. It’s very hard to tell if he’s eating, but obviously he’s surviving somehow
Is this normal behavior? When he was younger he was always begging for food, but once I upgraded his cage with larger and deeper soil I dont see him unless I dig him out. I know they like to dig, but it just doesn’t seem like he comes out ever
They are pretty secretive animals. They are part of a group of salamanders called “mole salamanders” because they spend so much time underground. That said, in captivity sometimes they remain buried for other reasons, for example if it is too hot or too dry. If the temperature in the enclosure is over 70-75F, that might be one reason it is always under (it will be slightly cooler under the substrate at the bottom of the tank), though another sign it is too hot is when they are soaking all the time in the water dish…and it sounds like the salamander is not doing that. Another reason they may stay under the substrate all the time is if it is too dry. If the soil is completely dry on top, amphibians will often burrow into it and stay down below to conserve moisture. But, really, what I would guess is happening is just normal salamander behavior—they spend a lot of time inactive below ground.
Devin
U r not alone in this. I only got to enjoy tiger’s company untill i got a deeper substrate capacity’ tank. Now hes all burrowed somewhere and all i get to watch are crickets being bored and carying meal worms from one spot to another around the tank and then play dead in the water bowl…i put a couple of earth worms in there, thinking of adding a whole bunch later, maybe he will find them? Meal worms seem to just sort of waste away in there, so im not sure if i should even provide them…
Hi, I was given a salamander and asked if I would take care of it. (The previous owner’s house burnt down) I know nothing about this little guy. Should I release him back into the wild? I live in Colorado. Where would he have the greatest chance for survival? We have lakes, ponds, creeks, wetlands, reservoirs, mountain streams, you name it…all within driving distance. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. The salamander is yellow and black with a rounded face, and about seven or eight inches long. Please advise.
Good question. No, definitely do not release it if you don’t know where or when it was collected. Instead, I would suggest finding it a new home. I have no idea about this rescue organization, but it’s in Colorado and you could call them to get advice: https://www.corhs.org/ They might be able to take it if you aren’t able to care for it. That said, they are low maintenance pets if you want to keep it permanently.
I’ve had my tiger salamander since this past spring. She has been eating well until this past week or so. She only ate one worm and seems disinterested. Do they slow down in the winter months? The temperature in my house stays around 68 degrees in the winter. Could it be wanting to hybernate?
At lower temperatures, the metabolism of amphibians will slow down and they require less food. So, yes, if your household temperature is a little colder now that it is winter your salamander might not eat as much or be as active as it was during the summer. Other seasonal cues, for instance, reduced photoperiod from indirect light through a window in the room or a lower ambient humidity level, probably also are impacting your salamander’s behavior. You don’t need to do anything about this. As long as the salamander is still feeding and appears healthy just reduce how much food you offer it and pay attention to how its behavior changes in the spring once your house warms up. Temperatures down into the 40’s and 50’s are no problem for captive tiger salamanders, but hot ones over 80F can cause problems.
Hi! I have a few tiger salamanders that I found earlier this year, and I love them. I have been catching and caring for them for years, but this year I am trying to hibernate them over the winter. I live with my mom and am not allowed to keep them inside, so I made a hibernation bin out of a coffee can and some insulation with duck tape. then Iput dirt inside and buried half of it in the dirt outside in their enclosure. I live in South Dakota, so it gets pretty cold. Would this work for hibernating, or would it just be best to let them go for the winter?
I think it is best to let them go. I don’t know if the coffee can idea will work. I’m guessing they dig down pretty deep since they need to get below freezing.
I have an American Toad and a Tiger Salamander. I have them each in their own 10 gallon tank, I know they need more space and I’ve been thinking of combining them in 1 large tank together. Is that possible? Would they harm each other?
It is probably not the best idea. Although they require similar care conditions in terms of environment, even a large 30- or 40-gallon aquarium probably won’t provide enough room where they won’t encounter each other. My concern is that a tiger salamander might try to eat a toad, given enough time together in a tank, and it would probably be unsuccessful, and could result in your toad being injured, for example, if the salamander got a toad leg in its mouth and didn’t let go, or the toad injuring the salamander if the toad then was threatened and secreted its poison from the paratoid glands. Maybe in some really large custom-built enclosure the risk of predation would be low, or if you kept the salamander well-fed it probably would not try to eat a toad moving past it at night. But, overall, I think it is not worth the (small to medium) risk.
Do you have any tips for baby salamanders? My grandpa found some and is going to give four to me
Salamanders start their lives as eggs. The eggs hatch into larvae (like tadpoles for frogs) that live in the water. After the larvae complete metamorphosis, most kinds usually leave the water and move onto land. Are they larvae that live in the water or ones that have already finished metamorphosis? If they have gills and are still in the water, they will need an aquarium with filtered water, kind of like what you would keep fish in. If they already finished metamorphosis and are living on land, you can care for them like described on this page if they are tiger salamanders. Do you know what kind of salamanders they are? If they are small tiger salamanders that are already on land you can care for them as described on this page, just feed small crickets and earthworms until they get bigger and require larger prey. If they are some other kind of salamander, they might need to be cared for a little differently. Also, make sure it is okay for your grandpa to take them. It might be illegal depending on where you live and what kind of salamander they are, or you might need a permit like a fishing license or something to take some. Also, it might be better if he just takes one. Enjoy the new salamander,
I found a tiger in our shop. He was dirty and dusty so I rinsed him off and took him home. I found out later he had been in our shop since at least last November. I have a 30.gallon aquarium I was using for a terrarium temporary that will be converted to a salamander habitat. Lots of good information here. Wish me luck.
Good luck! Sounds like it was probably lucky you found it.
I’ve owned my Tiger for two years now. It’s much more active at between 60 and 70 degrees. His diet is primarily dusted crickets and giant meal worms. I occasionally give him a sliver of fresh fish, chicken or steak and he relishes it. His enclosure is next to my desk and when he senses my presence (noise, vibration) whatever, he crawls out from under his bark and stares at me till I feed him. Buggers looking at me right now. I’ve considered another tiger but I may try a couple spotted sally’s, as my brothers mountain property has a thriving population of them. Thought about marbled sal’s, just because they’re so beautiful and I know of a strong population nearby. I do however believe they are of concern in my state, so that may be imprudent. I’ll have to check.
Should the food be live when given to the salamander? I’m thinking the crickets might be very difficult for it to catch and the worms could escape into the substrate.
Yes, the food should be alive for the salamander to notice it. You can try feeding crickets with feeding tongs instead if they seem to evade the salamander and hide in the substrate. If there are crickets wandering the terrarium more than a few hours after feeding you might try tong feeding instead. When I had a tiger salamander I would often feed small nightcrawlers with feeding tongs; crickets I let loose in the enclosure but never more than a dozen at a time. Good luck,
Devin
I love tiger salamanders. I own 2 giant spotted salamanders currently, but I hope to add a tiger to my collection of salamanders as well. How long do they live? I know spotteds can live over 20yrs, sometimes up to 25-30yrs.
Tiger salamanders can live over 20 years in captivity. I had one that made it to 21 or 22 before passing, but I bet they can live longer. Enjoy the salamanders.
Devin
Any tips for tiger S. Keepers?
If u managed to keep it alive for 21 ish years id love some advice!
Most of that time I kept the salamander’s enclosure in the basement, so constant cool temperatures. Heat is a big problem people have when keeping newts and salamanders. A few warm weeks over the summer can cause serious problems, so keeping them cool is probably the best advice I can give. I changed its water a couple of times a week or when dirty but otherwise mostly just left it alone. I remember using a few different substrates and I think in the end what I liked best was a mixture of coconut husk fiber and cypress mulch. I fed nightcrawlers and crickets mostly. The worms I coated in a little vitamin or mineral supplement. Tiger salamanders are pretty hardy animals and will survive in a range of conditions so if you get their environment right (temperature, moisture content of the substrate, etc.) they should live just fine for many years.
Devin
Excellent instructional on Tiger Salamander care.